Detroit's Ray McCallum Jr. sweats it until Kings take him in 2nd round

Detroit News | Jun 28

Now the big dog can eat.

The excitement and anticipation of the NBA draft had Ray McCallum Jr. thinking about his future, whether he would be selected in the first or second round and which team would eventually take him.

Food didn’t enter into the equation on Thursday.

But when McCallum, the University of Detroit’s top NBA prospect since Willie Green (41st player selected, by Seattle, then traded to Philadelphia on 2003 draft night), was selected by Sacramento in the second round as the 36th overall pick, the tension eased, hunger set in, and McCallum could finally relax and enjoy a late dinner.

“The food looked good,” he said. “It smelled good but I just couldn’t (eat). I could hardly eat my breakfast.

“This is the longest day of my life. Everything that was supposed to happen, happened. Then some crazy things happened.”

Speculation was that McCallum, had he not been chosen as the No. 36th pick, would have been taken by the Pistons as the 37th.

“It’s all good,” he said. “I’m just happy to hear my name called. It’s an honor. It’s (hard work) is paying off.”

McCallum had a room full of support on the most important night in his life. His mother, Wendy, sat on his right, his father and coach at Detroit, Ray Sr., sat to his left on a couch in their family room.

There was McCallum’s sister, Brittany, who was often seen sifting through social media sights locating the latest trades and trade rumors.

McCallum also had a close friend, Brandon Boswell, a student at Michigan State and, like McCallum, a 2010 Detroit Country Day graduate, with him along with current Titans Carlton Brundidge and Juwan Howard Jr.

His father said, despite all of the nervousness in the room, that the evening went just about the way he expected.

“I thought that he would go from 21 to 40,” he said. “For me, this is how I envisioned his career. He’s done everything I’ve asked him to do. Be committed. Practice your craft daily. Be a good teammate and be a great student. He’s a 3.48 (GPA) student.”